With an Ivy League title no longer a possibility, the Penn women's soccer team hits the road again this weekend hoping to knock off defending champion Yale.
Despite an impressive 7-4-1 overall record, Penn enters tomorrow's contest just 1-3 in conference play. The youthful Quakers' hopes of an Ivy championship evaporated following last Sunday's 1-0 heartbreaker against seemingly untouchable Dartmouth - the league leader, which extended its consecutive shutout streak to eight with the win.
"We need to have some passion, a little bit of competitiveness in the way we play," Penn coach Darren Ambrose said. "We were a little intimidated, and that comes from having a lot of younger players going against teams who have been there.
"We need to show the talent we have. We can't show talent unless we work hard. We haven't really fought hard in the games against Dartmouth and Columbia. Talent isn't enough on its own to win Ivy League games."
Penn will once again play with a depleted roster. With offensive threat Rachel Fletcher (foot) and starter Michelle Drugan (hamstring) inactive tomorrow, Ambrose stressed the need for everyone to elevate their play.
"In tough games, we're still looking for people to step up. It's important that everybody shows up to play. I don't think there's a single player on our team that can't [step up]; we need better overall performances from all our individuals."
Sara Rose will get the start in goal over fellow freshman Cailly Carroll, who has started the majority of Penn's games this season.
"She has worked really hard," Ambrose said of Rose. "She deserves to get her chance. It's her time."
After opening its conference schedule with a pair of wins, Yale stumbles into the contest having dropped consecutive matches to Dartmouth and Cornell (the source of Penn's sole Ivy victory).
The Elis have dominated the series, boasting an 11-2-2 record against their Philadelphia counterparts. The games of late have been close, however. In 2004, the Quakers fell 3-2 in overtime before settling for a 1-1 tie last fall.
Even though an Ivy League championship will have to wait another season, Ambrose says his team still has plenty to play for.
"Our goal all year has been to win ten games and finish in the top half of the league; we still have an opportunity to do that. We can still find any opportunity to play as a way to make a statement for ourselves. We're really looking to learn and show that we have learned from the experiences we've had."
